Second Chance
by TheDragonQueen706
Summary: Harper Kennedy, a singer, writer and now WWE Superstar with the idea of wanting Women's Tag Team Titles created. However, she's got so many other obstacles to overcome like a tense reunion with former flame Seth Rollins. He tries to smooth things over much to her irritation; but when tragedy strikes and leaves her broken, he may be the only one to get her through it all.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's been a while since I've written a wrestling story. This idea has been forming for quite a while, so I finally decided to write it down. Hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 1:

Here's To Heartache

" _You don't mean that...do you?" A woman's voice asked softly, curling her bottom lip under her top one._

 _Her long smokey violet hair was pulled high into a tight ponytail that still reached the top of her shoulder and the bright blue of her eyes were glassy with pending tears that threatened to spill over the lashes. She clenched her hands on the fabric of her shirt tightly, preventing them from reaching out to the man in front of her._

 _A heavy sigh escaped his lips, looking directly at her with a sadness that seemed to eat away at him. "Harper, this isn't easy for me; but you have to see that this isn't going to work out. We simply aren't meant to be more than friends."_

" _I suppose you are right; but it doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt any less…"_

" _I know...I'm sorry."_

" _Seth...take care of yourself…" She said walking passed him without looking back._

Harper shot up from a dead sleep. Sweat rolled down her face to drip onto the blanket she was clenching in her hands. Wiping her face, she groaned at the memory that just seemed to plague her every time she closed her eyes. It had been several months since her breakup with longtime friend/boyfriend, Seth Rollins, and even after that much time passing by, her heart remained closed off.

The door to her bedroom open quietly and a woman's face peaked inside. Her traditional dark brown hair fell over her shoulder, meeting Harper's eyes with her own blue orbs. "I'm fine Lyric…"

"You had that dream again, didn't you?"

Harper knew that her sister meant well with the check-ins; but if she was perfectly honest, it was almost suffocating. She just wanted to move on at her own pace. Wrestling was their passion and her heartache wasn't going to ruin that, she made a mental vow to that notion. Lyric came further inside the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You know...I thought it would get easier over time…" Harper admitted.

"When you care deeply for someone and it ends so abruptly...it's never easy."

"Is this why you stay single?"

"I think for me...I just haven't found the right guy yet. Get some sleep, we have a flight in the morning."

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

 **Newark, New Jersey**

Harper and Lyric walked into the arena that housed Monday Night Raw for the evening. The heels of their shoes clicked against the floor of the building. The women's locker-room was at the far corner of the hall and as they walked people greeted them warmly. Hunter even came up to them and told them what was going to happen with the show that changed at the last minute. "Go out there tonight and put on a great show." He said with a smile.

Hunter had always been one of their biggest supporters. The women in wrestling were just recently getting the chance they deserved. The sisters have seen the first ever women's hell in a cell match and the first ever women's money in the bank ladder match. When they debuted on the main roster, the idea was pitched for women's tag team titles. Though, the idea kind of faded out, they still had hope that it would become a reality someday.

Towards the end of the all, Harper could see Seth talking to his two good friends. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Roman spotted her and waved. She forced a smile and a half waved before stepping into the locker-room. Seth turned around to see her stepping inside the room with Lyric following suit.

"Maybe you should talk to him." Lyric suggested.

"Why in the hell would I do that?" Harper asked defensively.

"Make some kind of truce with him, this is getting too awkward now. The tension is terrible and everyone notices now."

Ignoring her sister's reasons, she sat down on one of the open benches and proceeded to take her ring gear out of her bag. Lyric rolled her bag to another empty one and left it there, storming out of the locker-room. She turned to see if Seth was still standing down the hall with his friends.

Roman and Dean were still there but Seth was nowhere to be seen. She narrowed her eyes and closed in on their location. Dean raised an eyebrow at her before nudging Roman to turn around. "Where is he?" She asked, the anger evident in her voice.

"Easy killer, he took off a few minutes ago." Roman said, raising his hands up innocently.

"One, don't call me that and two, you better give me a truthful answer." Lyric retorted increasing the aggressive nature she usually hid from everyone except her sister.

"Relax, we honestly don't know where he is." Dean said placing a hand on her shoulder.

She looked at her shoulder and then at him, taking a step back so his hand fell back towards him. She was angry about how heartbroken her sister was and wanted to scream at Seth for hurting her and in a matter of seconds the anger faded. "Would yelling at him really solve anything?" He asked, realizing that she was suddenly a lot calmer.

"No; but it would make me feel better. Harper is hurt...more hurt than I have ever seen her."

"It will take time; but everything will play out how it was supposed to, I promise you that."

Roman nudged his friend to walk away with him. She was left alone in the hallway for a few moments. Emotions swirled inside, ones she recognized and others that she didn't. Lyric returned to the locker-room only to see Harper humming a melody that was new to her. It was obviously something she had written recently. "Do you have words for that?" She asked interrupting her sister's song.

"Yeah; but they are still a work in progress."

A smile came across Harper's face that seemed genuine to Lyric and it made her feel like there was a glimmer of hope that her sister would be able to move passed all the heartache and continue on as she was before everything happened. Both women turned around to to see a white piece of paper slide under the door.

Confused, Harper stepped over to pick up the item. She glanced at the page that had their segment and match on it. There were more changes to it, despite the ones that Hunter had told them about when they arrived at the arena no more than a half hour ago.

"What's up?" Lyric asked coming closer to the door.

"More changes…"

The words barely came out of her mouth. Her throat clench at the idea of what was going to take place later on that night. There were too many question floating inside her head at that point. Lyric took the paper out of her hand and read the contents for herself. After the words were embedded inside her head, she turned to stare at her older sister. There were no words that could possibly describe what she could be feeling.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"The following contest is a Women's Division tag team match scheduled for one fall…" Jojo announced cheerfully.

Familiar music sounded and it got the crowd cheering. Every time they stepped through the curtain and seeing the thousands of people in each arena they performed in, it always got them smiling. Nothing felt better than giving each one of them a performance of a lifetime. Harper stood on the left while Lyric stood on the right, both dressed in silver ring gear.

Lyric's consisted of vinyl shorts and a bra like top made of the same material. Her long dark brown hair was curled in large waves that cascaded down her back. Harper's was similar with the only difference was the fact she wore pants instead of shorts and her smokey violet hair was straight down her back.

"From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...Harper and Lyric Kennedy."

They got into the ring, eyeing the local talent in the process. After Jojo announced their names, she exited the ring. The referee waited for the two teams to pick who would start the match. Harper stepped out to the corner to stand with the small white rope in her hand. Lyric circled her opponent just as the referee signed for the bell.

There wasn't much to the local talents and Lyric quickly got the upper hand on the smaller woman in the ring with her. Harper reached out for a tag, once she got it she climbed to the top rope facing the crowd just as a fallaway slam was given. Harper readied herself and leapt from the top rope, delivering a Phoenix Splash to her victim.

Lyric tagged in once more and quickly covered the fallen woman in the ring. The referee made the three count and the winners were announced. Harper grabbed a microphone from Jojo and held it to her lips. "It's pretty safe to say that local talents aren't cutting it anymore. I'm pretty confident in saying that we are the uncrowned tag team champions of the women's division. So next week, let's see if there is a team that can knock the crown off us."

Before she could speak further, Celtic music interrupted her. The lights shined down on Sheamus and Cesaro. Lyric elbowed Harper, acting confused as to what was going on even though they both knew what was about to happen. The former tag team champions didn't waste time getting to the ring, surrounding the two women. "Uncrowned tag team champions you say…" Cesaro said, holding another microphone to his lips.

"It looks like we have something in common, the only difference is we will make it a reality. There is no title for you to claim." Sheamus insulted.

Another set of entrance themes sounded, annoying Cesaro and Sheamus. The current tag team champions, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, walked out onto the stage. Harper hated the feeling of her pounding heart, it was the same effect he had on her since meeting him for the first time. Seth had a smile on his face and a laughter to his voice and it ate away at her slowly building walls around her heart.

"If you think that you can beat us, then you two are seriously delusional." Seth said, stepping into the ring.

His eyes came in contact with Harper's followed by a wink in her direction. Dean took the microphone from Seth and proceeded to give them his opinion. "And if insulting women is fun for you, then we will gladly kick your ass for that to." He said dropping the item from his hands with a thud.

Lyric and Harper rolled out of the ring, just as the two teams attacked each other. Much to this dismay of Cesaro and Sheamus, they were made to retreat defensively in a matter of minutes.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

After the segment was over, Harper quickly made her way backstage. She didn't wait for her sister either, she simply wanted to get away. It wasn't until her name was called did she stop walking. Her heart was still pounding and she wished that she could just shut all her emotions off and stop thinking back on everything that happened in the past.

"Harper, wait…" Seth called.

"What do you want?" She asked turned around to face, forcing the burning sensation in her eyes to go away.

"You did good out there tonight. The Phoenix Splash was perfectly done."

"Trust me, I didn't want to keep using it; but I was told that I had to. I didn't want to use something that reminded me of you."

Seth was taken aback by her abrasive statement. She was hurt, he could see it and all he could do was put the blame on himself for that. Harper didn't bother to stick around any further, she continued on down the hall. "You know this is your fault, right?" Lyric stated walking passed him.

"At the time, I felt it was best. I was frustrated with my carrier and I felt like I was holding her back...so I let her go. You can understand that, can't you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It's good to see a pretty good turnout for the first chapter. Sorry, that this chapter is a little shorter than the previous one. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think of it so far.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Ctinaisfashion, Silenced Echoes, Skovko, SparkenRose, 08 and tiarry545 for becoming followers to this story.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: Skovko, Leasha Ambrose, Ctinaisfashion and Guest for the wonderful reviews.**

Chapter 2:

A Silver Lining

Harper sat on the edge of the bench in the women's locker-room after the show was over. She ran the whole segment through her mind over and over again; of course, the clenching of her heart returned. Forcing the burning sensation of tears away, she got up to finish packing her things up.

She hated feeling like there was no out for the situation and far too often she wondered if stepping away from the company for a while would help; but it was always Lyric who convinced her that it wasn't worth sacrificing her dream over one person.

Pulling the handle up on her travel bag, she tucked a chunk of her hair behind her ear and proceeded to open the door. On the other side of it, was the man in question. Seth's hand was up in a clenched fist as if he had been just about to knock on the door.

The dark of his eyes was like a vortex that swirled so many different emotions and Harper had a hard time looking away from them, otherwise, she knew that she could lose herself inside their depths. Just like so many times before.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, doing her best to act angry.

"Just came to talk." He replied holding his hands up innocently.

Harper stepped out into the hall, pulling her bag behind her. Her hand clenched the handle much too hard, making her knuckles turn white. Seth reached behind him to pull up his hair into a tight bun behind his head. "What did you want to talk about?" She asked forcefully, not giving an inch of emotion in his direction.

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I know this segment tonight couldn't have been easy for you."

"You're right! It wasn't easy for me!"

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

"It's a little too late for that, isn't it?"

She quickly walked away from him, begging for the tears to hold off until she reached her vehicle in the parking garage. Once she got there, Lyric was already putting her things into the trunk. The sight of her with a smile on her face made all the anger she was currently feeling go away for the time being.

For once, she wanted to see her sister happy and in that moment she looked as if she was just that. "So what's got you all smiling?" Harper asked, tossing her own bag into the trunk with a thud.

"No reason in particular. I mean I did tell Seth off after the segment and that felt pretty good."

"Well that explains why he tried to talk to me as I was coming out here."

Lyric closed the trunk and immediately turned to face her sister. The smile was no longer present. She felt guilty for allowing her emotions to get the better of her. Harper had been doing well with dealing with the break up and now, since she opened her mouth the broken look had appeared all over again. "I'm sorry. I was only trying to get him to understand that everything you're feeling is his fault."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it, let's just get going."

The two women got into their rental with Harper taking control of the driving. Lyric sat in the passenger seat with her journal out on her lap. Her hand moved steadily across the page as words were placed on the lines.

Keeping her eyes on the road, she moved her free hand to connect her phone to the AUX cord that was already in the port. If there was one things that could get her mind off of tonight's events it was music, her second love in the world.

"How about you drive and I hook this up. I prefer to not have an accident tonight." Lyric commented taking her sister's phone and cord away from her hand.

"Please don't put on any country...I can't handle that today."

Lyric did as she was instructed. It wasn't country; but it wasn't metal either. She decided on pop music, which wasn't Harper's favorite either; however, she did occasionally listen to a couple songs here and there. Her sister was all about lyrical value in a song. If it didn't mean anything then she didn't want to hear it. "Is this okay?" She asked, sitting the phone down into the cup holder between the two seats.

"It's fine. You know...he told me that he never meant to hurt me."

"Harp, I honestly don't know what goes through that man's head. All I know is that everything happens for a reason and maybe there is a reason for this to. Emotions aren't supposed to be easy to handle. We are all human and we all make mistakes."

Harper knew that she wasn't entirely wrong about that. Everyone made mistakes and there was a possibility that Seth was trying to make up for them. If that was the case, then he was seriously going to have to do better than what he tried to do earlier if he wanted to make amends.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Seth lay in bed staring at the ceiling going over the small conversation that he had with Harper at the end of the show. She tried her best to get angry with him; but he could see right through it. She was hurt and that was his fault. He never thought he'd have a chance to make things right with her and the segment at the show was his starting point in trying to do just that.

There were way too many options that could happen with this current storyline and the thought of Harper being involved just that one time didn't appeal to him. Several ideas swirled in his mind that perhaps he'd bring up when he saw Hunter next.

Letting a long heavy sigh, he sat up and got out of bed. He slipped the t-shirt he had been wearing back on and slid a pair of jeans over his underwear. He was glad that the hotel had a bar across from the lobby. A drink was exactly what he needed to calm his mind. Once he got down to the first floor he caught sight of smoky violet hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail.

Harper was sitting at the bar with a half empty glass in front of her. The music was low but loud enough to still enjoy it. It reminded him of the fact that they always seemed to enjoy music together, whether is was just jamming out in the car or watching her sing on stage every so often. Not that he had a perfect voice; but there were times that he envisioned joining her on that stage, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind to kiss the hollow of her neck.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, noticing him cautiously approaching the bar.

"Corona, bottle please." He answered sitting down on a stool in front of her.

Harper shifted her eyes to see him. He left a seat between them, giving her the space she wanted; but he seemed off. His hair was pulled back the same way hers was. The bartender handed him the bottle beer he asked for just as she watched him take the first swig from the opening.

"Would you like another one, Miss Kennedy?"

"Yeah…" She replied sliding her now empty glass forward.

Looking around, Seth could see several people at the tables behind them. A few couples were dancing a little further back when the music was the loudest. Returning his glance back to what was in front of him, he fought with himself to speak to her. When the bartender gave her the new drink, it was going to the only chance he had left.

"So why are you down here?" She asked, beating him to the question.

"Couldn't sleep. You?" He asked, hoping this conversation went better than the last one.

"Same."

She lifted her glass, taking a sip from the edge. It was hard for her to keep the words to a minimum when all she wanted to do was fall into his embrace. She missed the comforting nature of it. Her throat clenched at the thought of it, nearing choking on the drink in her mouth. "I don't want things to be tense between us. I want us to be able to talk civilly." He said turning his head to fully look at her.

"I think I'll be able to manage that; but I will say this….you hurt me in far too many ways to count and if what you're doing is trying to make up for mistakes made...then you are really going to have to try harder. It's not going to be easy for you to succeed this time."

Tilting her head back to finish the last remnants of her drink, she placed a twenty on the counter and jumped down from her seat. Her words left him feeling numb and unable to speak further. She walked passed him without a single glance in his direction. His mind reeled in the words she spoke. Was she saying there was a chance that he could make up for the mistakes he made in the past? Then that was what he was going to do.

"I thought you'd be down here." Roman said sitting down next to him.

"Can't sleep either?" Seth asked, trying his damnedest to push the conversation he just had with Harper away for the time being.

"Actually I just got back from the club across the street; but I just saw Harper walking out of here so I figured you might be in here to."

Roman studied his best friend's face. He saw the guilt across it. "If you want to make amends with her, just keep trying. If you want her, don't stop fighting. Mistakes can always be fixed."

"I've never given up on anything in my life, so I don't plan to start now."

"Good, now let's get out of here before both of us feel like shit in the morning."

Seth laughed and then proceeded to finish the beer in his hand. He left money on the counter just as Harper had and then followed Roman out of the bar with the hope that soon he would be able to make things right between himself and Harper Kennedy once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: After a little break, I sorted through all the ideas I had written down and decided to change a few things. I hope you all will enjoy it, let me know what you think.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Amnbama, Skovko and Leasha Ambrose for the wonderful reviews.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: Amnbama for becoming a follower to this story.**

Chapter 3:

Hitting Rock Bottom

Harper leaned against the cool metal of her rental car. A sigh escaped her mouth when the reality that she was going to be walking into the arena alone came crashing down around her. Lyric was nowhere to be seen and it was much later than her last text message said she'd be. Lifting the handle of her travel bag up, she started to pull it behind her in the direction of the door.

Forcing a smile upon her face, she greeted everyone she came across backstage. A sickening feeling tightened her stomach into a large knot and wouldn't go away no matter what she did.

"Harper!" Sasha called from across the moving of equipment cases.

"Hey, have you heard from Lyric at all?" She asked hoping that it was just her phone acting up.

"No, not since yesterday. Why?"

"She's not here yet and I got a bad feeling."

Sasha placed a hand on Harper's shoulder out of reassurance; but before she could say anything, the sight of Stephanie McMahon cut the conversation right out of her mouth. The Commissioner of Monday Night Raw walked with a purpose and the sound of her heels clicking against the concrete floor echoed across the walls and into their ears.

"Harper. Sasha." She acknowledged.

"Something wrong?" Sasha asked softly.

"I got some word on the pitched idea you had for Women's Tag Titles."

Harper perked that the mention of her idea. She hoped that one day those titles would be created to give some of the women on the roster that weren't in the main title picture something to do. She especially wanted to be a tag champion with her sister. "It looks like they aren't going to go through with that just yet. It wasn't a totally rejection and believe me, I'd like to see this happen someday."

Stephanie gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before continuing on down the hall. It was hard to think about the rejection, even if it wasn't a total rejection. Tucking a chunk of her hair behind her ear, she lifted her head up from the floor to look beyond Sasha only to make eye contact with Seth.

Roman was close by him, talking about something she couldn't hear. Dean appeared from around the corner to made the trio complete. Breaking the contact, she turned to walk with Sasha to the women's locker-room.

"Have you even apologized to her?" Dean grumbled, giving Seth a nudge in the shoulder.

"I tried to, she doesn't want to hear anything I have to say at this point and I honestly don't blame her."

"Give it time, don't suffocate her or she really will run from you." Roman commented.

Seth could only agree with his friend. He knew her and if he tried to continuously make attempts to speak to her on the subject she would undoubtedly run and that was the last thing he wanted.

Dean peeked back towards her and took notice that Lyric wasn't with her, which was basically unheard of. He had his own ups and downs with Lyric Kennedy; but for some reason a sense of dread washed over him leaving him chilled to the bone.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

It didn't take long for management to notice Lyric's absence. Harper swore she knew nothing about it, which only made her worry more. Just as she was making her way down the hall to enter into a one on one match with Alicia Fox, Stephanie stopped her. Her eyes were glassy with tears that had yet to be shed.

"What's wrong?" Harper asked, in a shaking voice. She had a bad feeling about what was going to come out of her mouth.

"It's...Lyric…"

"What about her!"

Roman, Dean and Seth approached the small room where they stood, ready to make their entrance after Harper's match. Seth heard the desperation in Harper's voice and saw the tremble of her hands at her sides.

Stephanie wiped her eyes free of the tears and swallowed the lump in her throat. "She was in a car accident on her way here...she...I'm so sorry Harper…" She said before pulling the smaller woman into a tight embrace.

"No...you're wrong. She's always careful when driving…"

"Hunnie...I wish I was…."

Seth watched helplessly as Harper's eyes formed tears. The broken expression on her face broke his own heart to see. He could only watch as Stephanie allowed her to leave to deal with all the things needed to be taken care of at the local hospital. "Go with her…" Stephanie ordered before stepping fully into the small room to dictate all the new changes.

He ran down the hall after Harper without a second thought. She came barreling out of the women's locker-room in a array of smokey chrome. Her eyes were starting puff from the tears that wanted to be released. "Harper, wait!" He called, getting her to stop for a moment.

"I can't do this right now…"

"I know….let me change quickly and I'll drive you. Please...you aren't fit to drive right now."

All she could do was give a nod of her head. Her throat tightened with the violent sobs that were ready to erupt. She didn't want to believe that Lyric was gone. Her sister was supposed to always be there for her and refused to think that it would be anyway other than that. Frozen in place, she waited for Seth.

The entire day had played out so differently than normal and Harper felt like she should have known that something was wrong right from the very beginning. She didn't want it be reality, prayed that it was only a bad dream.

"Harper…" Seth voice called.

It was distant, far away; but she knew that he was there. He gently placed a hand on her back to urge her forward. There was silence between them and rightfully so. He had no idea what to say to her, because no matter what he said it wouldn't make what happened alright. It wouldn't make the pain she felt go away, nor would it ever.

He opened the passenger side door for her and she slide inside pulling her bag close to her chest as if she was hugging it. She stared out the window, even as Seth drove to where the EMT's had taken Lyric.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

A confirmation was all the hospital personnel needed to begin the transfer of Lyric to their mother in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; but Harper could only stand and stare. The body that lay on the cold metal table was indeed her beloved sister and nothing was ever going to change that. A sudden burst of rage consumed her and she balled up her fists at her sides before screaming. "How could you!"

"Harper…" Seth called, reaching for her arm.

She jerked away from his grasp, allowing the tears to finally fall from her lashes. The intensity of the her cries made him try again to reach for her and this time he succeeded. She crumbled against him, tears rolling down her face. "I'm sorry for your loss." An older woman said softly as Seth escorted Harper from the room.

Sitting her down on the bench inside the wide hallway of the morgue part of the hospital, Seth knelt down in front of her, trying his best to keep his distance and doing what he could to comfort her. "She's gone...she's really gone…"

"I'm so sorry, Harper...this is unfair to you...to all of us."

For the first time since the news hit her ears, she looked directly at him. The soft brown of his eyes reached out to her own blue. He took her trembling hands into his own. The warmth caressed her, giving her a sense of comfort that was familiar yet foreign at the same time. "I don't know what to do...everything I am was because of her."

"Shhh…" He said allowing her to lean forward and cry against his shoulder once more.

"Seth...I don't know...if I...can handle this…"

"There are so many that will help you get through this."

"He's right…" Sasha's voice interrupted the conversation.

Harper looked up from Seth's shoulder and immediately ran towards her. Sasha wrapped her arms around her tightly. He stood up from the floor and simply watched as Sasha did her best to soothe the grieving woman in her arms.

Sasha looked at him, giving him a silent glance that was full of confusion and unease. She had no idea what to do to help her best friend. She was helpless just as he was. They knew that Harper was never going to be the same after this. Her dreams of being a tag team champion with Lyric were over along with so many other dreams.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat." Sasha said, letting Harper out of her embrace.

They walked out of the hospital just as it started to rain down upon them. Sasha opened the passenger door for Harper to get inside; but she hesitated, looking back to Seth, who stood awkwardly back away from them. Sasha turned to see the silent glance between them. She smiled, realizing that maybe Harper needed him to. "Come on, Seth." Sasha said tossing him the keys to her own rental.

Not really knowing where they were going, they just drove. Harper fell asleep on Sasha's lap in the back seat, so Seth decided just to take them back to the hotel and he would just have a taxi to him back to the hotel to pick up his own rental. Resistance was met when they tried to wake her and Sasha knew that she wouldn't be able to carry her the whole way to their room.

"I hate to ask; but will you carry her up?" She asked, getting her bag out of the trunk.

"Yeah."

He slid his hands underneath her, lifting her up gently. Her head rested against his chest. Sasha led them into the lobby, holding the doors open as they walked through. The receptionist was kind and understanding as to why Harper wasn't able to sign her name. It was hard to speak about Lyric, it brought tears to Sasha's eyes even just saying her name.

The walk to her room seemed endless and when they finally arrived Harper stirred briefly awake before falling asleep once more. Only one word escaped her mouth before falling back into her slumber. "Lyric."

"You can lay her down on either bed." Sasha stated, letting the door shut behind them.

Seth gently laid her down upon the bed, moving hair away from her face. He hated leaving her in such a crippling state; but he knew that he couldn't stay. Sasha was more than enough company for her. "I hate seeing the pain on her face." He admitted aloud.

"I do too, all we can do is be there for her through this. It isn't going to be easy for any of us...but especially for her…"

"Thank you for allowing me to stay with her."

Sasha took a couple steps in his direction. "Seth, you made mistakes. We all do; but I know that you care about her just like me. There was no reason for me to not allow you to stay with her. She's going to need you, even if she won't admit that to anyone. You may be the only one that can help her through this…"

He gave her a quick hug and left the room without another word. All he could think about was the last things Lyric said to him. She blamed him for Harper's heartbreak, which was the truth even if he never meant to hurt her. _" **She loved you and you broke her heart, that is something that won't easily be forgiven."**_ Those words echoed inside his head over and over again, bringing the burning sensation to his eyes. It was followed by tears of his own in her memory.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I apologize for the time it has taken for me to get this out. I appreciate each and every reader who continues to read this. This chapter will be bittersweet and full of emotion, to the point that I actually teared up while writing it. Hope you like it and as always, let me know what you think.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Skovko for the wonderful review.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: elliexhardy, martham73, DirtyDeedsLove and Pinayprincesa for becoming followers to this story.**

Chapter 4:

The Pain of Loss

Sunlight shined through the window, caressing Harper's skin as her eyes remained closed in slumber. Sasha paced across the room, gathering up her belongings and wondered what was going to happen next. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her best friend. The news of her sister's death crippled her, not that she blamed her. That kind of information would traumatize anyone, especially if they had no idea it was coming.

Sasha's phone vibrated against the small end table at the far corner of the room. It came as no surprise that Seth's name came across her screen. **_"Is she awake?"_ **The question was simple; but held such meaning. Her quick reply was met with an equally quick response. _" **I have her things, I'll bring them over before I leave for the airport."**_

She had forgotten that Seth still had Harper's belongings. A slight movement alerted her to the possibility of Harper waking up. Sasha shifted from the end table to walk towards the bed. It was there that she was met by a pair of puffy blue eyes that still threatened to spill more tears, if there were any left.

"Hey…" Sasha greeted softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to her.

"What time is it?" Harper asked, her voice raspy from all the harsh sobs she had done hours beforehand.

"Ten till eleven."

"I need to get to Pittsburgh...my mom is gonna need me."

Harper pushed herself up into a sitting position, ignoring the urge to just crawl back under the covers and hide away from reality. She knew that she had to be the strong one, because her mother was not going to be able to. There was no time to fall apart now and if she was honest, she had no idea when that time would be.

A soft knocking came across the door. Sasha immediately stood up, heading straight for the door. Harper placed her feet on the cool floor of the room, willing herself to stand up. The ache in her body was not some side effect from wrestling, it was the depression of losing her sister weighing down upon her.

Seth inched into the room, pulling a familiar looking bag into the room. Harper was grateful that he had brought it back to her before she left for home. She took steps closer to them. It didn't matter to her that she looked like hell, she was grateful to them both for being there for her when she needed it most.

Sasha took hold of the travel bag and sat it next to the bed, giving Seth enough space to approach Harper if he wanted to; but he wasn't given the chance. Harper quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. His comforting scent waved under her nose, giving her a little more strength than she thought she possessed. "Thank you…" She choked out before the tears started to overwhelm her.

He held onto her, dipping in to press his lips on the top of her head. Sasha smiled. She knew that there was something about Seth that always seemed to soothe the turmoil that raged within Harper. Right from the time they met, the sparks flew and the connection was formed. While it lasted, it was the most beautiful thing to see first hand and it still probably could be if Seth hadn't walked away. "There is no need to thank me. I will always be there for you, no matter what…"

Harper pulled out of his embrace, wiped the tears away from her eyes before finally looking up to meet his gaze fully. She tried to give him a smile before giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He allowed her the space she wanted even though he just wanted to continue to hold her. "I'll uh...let you get ready…"

"Will you….come for the funeral?" Harper asked hesitantly.

"Yes…"

Seth turned to leave the room, allowing the door to close behind him. Sasha placed a hand on Harper's shoulder, snapping her out of her own inner thoughts. The reality of what she was leaving to do came crashing down around her. She didn't understand why Lyric was taken far too soon. "Do you want me to go with you?" Sasha asked softly.

"No, I've got to do this alone."

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"I figured you would be with Harper." Roman's voice alerted Seth to his presence.

"I wish I was...but she needs space and I'm giving her that." He replied stuffing a used piece of clothing into his bag.

"I know that feeling…"

Seth looked up from his bag to look at his friend. Roman had lost his brother not long ago. He assumed the pain of the loss was still fresh in his mind after hearing about Lyric. The solemn expression across his face only solidified his assumptions. He supposed that time was the only thing they needed to heal; but that didn't meant he wouldn't still try to be there for them both if needed.

"Where is Dean?" Seth asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Said he wanted to get on the early flight. I'm sure he's got a lot on his mind. Lyric meant a great deal to him, despite their ups and downs."

"This is all fucked up and so unfair. Lyric was special to so many...including the three of us."

Roman couldn't agree more. Lyric was a foundation, the wall that everyone went to for advice or just for friendly conversation. He couldn't help but admire her, perhaps even had feelings for her once long ago; but he knew those affections would never be returned, because her heart had been set on Dean right from the start. "We should probably get going ourselves." Roman stated while lifting up his travel bag.

Seth only nodded his head, there were far too many emotions swirling inside his heart that prevented speech to escape his lips. His mind was on Harper and the light he had once seen in her eyes was no longer there. He hoped that one day it would return and she would be able to continue living her life to the fullest.

He moved to open the hotel room door and on the other side was Hunter. The emotion was across his face. Lyric, like all the women on the roster, was like a daughter to him. Seth had no doubt that he was troubled by Lyric's passing. "What's going on?" He asked, wondering why he was even there in first place.

"I realize that things are rough right now between you and Harper; but I feel that could use someone to be there for her through this tragedy." Hunter admitted.

"Believe me, I want nothing more than to be at her side right now. I'm giving her the space she needs. Besides, Sasha should be there with her."

"No, she just left to the next flight out. Harper shouldn't be alone…."

There were no other words spoken and Seth got the drift of what Hunter was trying to say. The question was now, would he take a flight to Pittsburgh and barge in on her family just for the sake of being there for her?

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Harper pulled her knees up close to her chest. She was sitting on the porch swing outside her mother's house. The chilled night air tickled her arms, raising goosebumps to her skin. Her mother finally fell asleep on the couch in the living room after crying nonstop for three hours upon her arrival.

Lyric's face came to mind and that contagious smile that always seemed to follow. It was hard for her to believe that her beloved sister was gone and in two days she would really have to say goodbye.

The words that were last spoken to her came back to her mind in an echoed loop. _" **Talk to him, I hate seeing you this miserable. I loved watching you smile at the mere mention of his name. I want to see that happiness back on your face. I love you and nothing pains me more than your sadness."**_

"Lyric….I'm so lost….why did you did you go…."

Harper felt the burning sensation of tears. Blinking once, they trickled down her cheeks. The phone that was in her tight grap fell from her hand to the hard cherrywood of the porch. The sound of a creaking porch step alerted her to someone coming up the steps. She lifted her head up to see Seth cautiously make his way up the steps.

The sight of him made her heart clench and words evaporate from her mouth. The only thing that was said was his name. She shifted her legs out to place them on the floor of the porch. Seth took steps to close the distance between them and it wasn't long before he was sitting down next to her on the swing.

"Why are you here?" She asked softly.

"I don't think you should be alone. You are no doubt caring for you mother; but who is caring for you?"

More tears spilled over her lashes just as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to lean against him. She clung onto his shirt with just one hand while the other rested against her chest. "I promise...you will get through this and I'll be there every step of the way." He said kissing the top of her head.

He remembered that her mother was the only parent she had left. Her father had died from a heart attack a year before she debuted on the main roster. Now with Lyric's death, her mother was the only family she had left.

Looking down, he could see that Harper had fallen asleep. He smiled and began to push his feet to get the swing to sway gently back and forth. "I won't lie...I'm pissed at you, Lyric. You left her...shattered her….and now I can only hope that we can help her pick of the pieces." He said softly.

There was silence, not a sound except for an owl's occasional hoots from the trees behind the house. Harper's soft breathing was comforting and another smile came across his lips as he watched her sleep.

"I'm glad you came for her." A voice sounded, alerting Seth to someone's presence.

He looked up from the sleeping Harper to see her mother in the doorway that led out to the porch. Her eyes were bloodshot; but there was a sense of relief on her face that was surprising to him. "I know you've been through stuff and even she hasn't told me everything; but seeing you here with her now….tells me just how much you care for my daughter."

"More than anything…"

"You can carry her upstairs to one of the spare rooms and you can stay in the other one if you wish."

"Thank you."

Seth reached with his arm to lift up on her prone body. Her head nuzzled deeper into his chest as he carried her inside and up the flight of stairs that he had walked up several times in the past while they were still in a relationship. He knew exactly where he was going and what room he was going place in her.

Nudging the cracked door with his foot, it opened for him and he gently laid her down on the bed. He took hold of the blanket that was draped at the end of bed and covered her with the soft fleece material.

Taking one final look at her, he leaned down to kiss her forehead before walking out of the room entirely. Her mother was downstairs in the kitchen making coffee, the scent waved under his nose when he got close to the room. "So what really happened between you two?" Her mother asked the second he stepped into the kitchen.

"I was dumb. My career was a mess and I didn't want to drag her down with me...so I walked away and it's always been my biggest regret."

"She still loves you...that was one thing that she did tell me."

He honestly didn't see how she could still love him after the heartbreak he put her through; but hearing her mother tell him that, it made him feel a little better about the idea of possibly regaining her trust. That was something he'd work on in the future; but for now, he wanted to be there for her through this difficult time in her life. It wasn't easily losing someone, especially a sibling.

"Get some sleep, Olivia. There is no need for you to overwork yourself until you're sick."

"I appreciate the concern; but I'm perfectly okay...plus...I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep much right now."

Seth wasn't surprised by her comments so he decided to stay up with her. To keep her company until she was tired enough to sleep. It was a good thing he was used to lack of sleep with his line of work, because it was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Again, I apologize for the late update. I just got married and went on my honeymoon so it's been pretty hectic. With life back to normal, I should have time to write again. Onto the next installment, let me know what you think.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Skovko and Amnbama for the wonderful reviews.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: CSINYNut, zendall001, MistressKM, Mel76930 and esmecruz2095567 for becoming followers to this story.**

 **Also, I would suggest listening to 'Winter Frost' by 7and5, it's the piano piece that inspired this chapter and it's also the piece Harper plays towards the middle of the chapter as well.**

Chapter 5:

The Final Goodbye

The sound of muffled cries woke Seth from his light sleep in the spare room next to the one he had placed Harper in a few hours earlier. The sun still hadn't risen, which meant it was still in the early A.M hours. He shook his head figuring that it was just his imagination; but when he heard the cry again, only much louder this time, he knew that something was up.

He rushed to Harper's room, forgetting about the shirt he had discarded on the floor. When he pushed the cracked door open, he could see her tossing her head from side to side. Sweat was evident across her brow from the shimmering light the moon created from the window.

"Harper…" He called softly.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on her her glossy skin. Her flesh was warm to the touch and wet with perspiration. His heart clenched, realizing that the emotional torment she was feeling outside of sleep was haunting her even during it. "No...please…Lyric…" She mumbled incoherently.

"Harper, come on...wake up…" Seth pleaded, gently shaking her.

It came as a surprise to him when she finally sprung awake, bouncing her chest across his shoulder. Her strangled breathes of air came quickly before completely bursting in tears. Seth wrapped his arms around her the best he could given the position. Her body remained tense and unresponsive.

"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You are stronger than you even realize. I know this is hard; but you and I both know...that Lyric wouldn't want you to hide away forever. It's okay to mourn her, Harper...she also would want you to succeed in life to."

Harper pulled away from him, really looking at him. She couldn't have asked for better words to be spoken to her. He was right and the tears stopped flowing. Giving her a smile that always seemed to make the butterflies flutter in her stomach, he reached out to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. "Thank you….for everything."

"You're welcome."

He leaned in to kiss her forehead before standing back up to leave the room. The resistance was met by her hand quickly reaching out for his. Seth turned his head back in her direction, seeing the longing across her features. She sucked her bottom lip in, hesitant in asking what was on her mind.

"I know...this is probably not something I should be asking...considering…" Harper started before abruptly stopping altogether.

"What's up? You know you can ask me anything." Seth answered, turning fully around.

"Would you...lay with me until I fall asleep again?"

Her request was unexpected but not at the same time. The emotions were clearly written on her face and they spoke to him. She needed comfort and just maybe he was the only one who could give that to her. Without a single word, he let go of her hand and slowly moved around to the other side of the bed.

Harper's eyes never left his, she rolled onto her side to face him as he lay next to her. As if nothing happened in the past, he wrapped an arm around her to pull her the rest of the way into his embrace.

"Seth…"

"Yeah…"

"I forgive you…"

His eyes widened, completely taken aback by her statement of forgiveness. He tried to form words but nothing came and by the time something was on his tongue she was fast asleep in his arms.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The church was filled was family and close friends that had been in Lyric's life for as long as Harper could remember. She sat beside her mother, holding her hand tightly as the priest said his prayers for her journey to the afterlife. Harper could feel Seth's eyes on the back of her head. It gave her a comfort that no one else could give.

"Before we say our final goodbyes, Harper Kennedy would like to say some words." The priest announced, stepping aside.

Harper detangled her fingers from her mother's hand and proceeded to step up on the altar. She stood behind the podium, with all eyes on her. It wasn't anything knew to have a bunch of people watching her; but somehow it made her nervous and question what she had written on the paper in front of her.

"Lyric was not only my sister; but my best friend too. We shared so much of our lives together, including our place of work. She encouraged everything I did, listened when I just needed someone to be there for me. With weeks on the road, it's hard to find time for family and friends; but we always made time for each other."

A single tear trickled down her cheek before wiping the rest away with her hand. She looked out at every single person in the pews ahead of her. Most watched her with intent on hearing exactly what she had to say next. Sasha sat next to Seth with a smile on her face; but not without some tears herself.

"We were determined to become the first women's tag team champions and unfortunately that never happened; but we will always be a tag team. I know that you will always be watching over me, guiding me. Today, I stand proud of everything we did together and now I honor you with a piano piece that I know you always loved. This is not goodbye...it's until we meet again."

Harper walked over to the piano on the other side of the altar. Her fingers brushed against the cool keys before setting her foot down on the petal to begin. The music took over her and she poured her whole heart into it.

Seth felt a whole different emotion in that moment. Over the last couple of days, he's watched her cry, scream, throw things and even laugh deliriously; but even seeing all of that he knew that she was it for him. She was the one who made him feel complete and with their sudden reconnection, perhaps it was Lyric's way of telling them it was right too.

After the last note was played, Harper remained seated for a few moments longer. A smile tugged at her lips, realizing that she had finally accomplished something Lyric had asked for so long. Standing up, she turned to face her family once again. Her mother couldn't stop the flow of tears, she stood up and embraced her daughter.

The final goodbyes were said and everyone watched as they lowered the casket into the ground. The wind blew through Harper's hair, caressing her. It was like her sister was right next to her despite all the sadness surrounding the event.

One by one the crowd of people began to disperse, leaving Harper, her mother, Sasha and Seth the only ones left. Olivia rested her single rose on the grave. "I'm proud of you." She told Harper before stepping away.

"We all are." Sasha said breaking the momentary silence.

"Thank you."

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"We really don't like just leaving you like this." Sasha said.

Harper knew that both Sasha and Seth spent far too much time away from work for her sake. Although Hunter told Seth he could have another day, she refused to let him miss anymore time. The fans would grow suspicious and start injury rumors and such. Harper didn't want that to happen to him.

"I know. It's perfectly okay. I'm fine. The worst parts are over...now it's all about gathering my thoughts and working on getting back to work myself."

"You've been told to take as much time as you need." Seth commented.

"I appreciate all the concern from you both and trust me when I say, I'll come back when I truly know I'm ready to."

Sasha smiled and wrapped her arms around Harper tightly. She hesitated in letting go. Seth stepping in closer. Sasha knew a new bond between them had formed over the last few days and if she was honest with herself, she was happy with the development even if there was tragedy surrounding it.

"Don't look at me like that." Harper stated locking her hands in front of her.

"I'm just concerned. Are you sure that you will be okay tonight?" He asked looking from her to Olivia who was sitting on the porch steps with her knees pulled up to her chest tightly.

"Seth, I'm promise that I will be fine. You get back to what you do best...putting smiles on those fans faces."

He hadn't forgotten her words of forgiveness and he wanted to ask her about it. It never seemed like a good time to bring it up and now wasn't either. She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his torso. His scent was the comfort she seeked in that moment. The fact that in a matter of moments they would leave her behind and she would be alone. Convincing them wasn't enough, she needed to prove it to them too.

"I'm only a call away if you need me." He said softly in her ear.

Stepping out of her embrace, he took one more look at her before following Sasha back to their rentals. Harper waved slightly before turning to walk back up the driveway. Olivia looked up from her knees. "Come on, I'll cook us something to eat."

Olivia accepted her daughter's hand. Wordlessly, they walked back into the house. It felt different without Seth there. The house was quiet, far too quiet for Harper's liking. She watched her mother walk into the living room and lay on the couch. It got her wondering if her mother would ever be okay after the loss of Lyric. It really was just the two of them now.

"One day at a time…." She whispered to herself as she got a pot of water placed on the stove in preparation to boil.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Onto number six, let me know what you think.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Skovko and Pinaypricesa for the wonderful reviews.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: Yehitsgaby, evemarie07 and caz21 for becoming followers to this story.**

Chapter 6:

Moving Forward

 **2 months later….**

Harper walked up the hillside towards Lyric's gravesite. She stopped mid-step when she saw that there was another body standing right in front of it. It took her a moment to realize just who was standing there. It was Dean Ambrose. His arm held up by a sling thanks to an injury he sustained a little over a month prior. A black t-shirt hung loosely over his torso, covering the top part of his dark colored jeans. His usual messy hair was combed back away from his eyes. It had just dawned on her that he had been missing at the funeral.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she proceeded to close the distance between them. Dean looked up to meet her gaze. It had been two month since they've seen each other, not a since word was passed to each other either.

"Hey…" She greeted cautiously.

"Hey…" He answered just as cautiously.

He avoided making complete eye contact by turning his head back to the stone that displayed Lyric's name. Harper smiled to herself, knowing that the man before her truly loved her sister despite their differences. She wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning into him. "She loved you. Lyric had a hard time expressing her feelings, especially when it came to you." She admitted.

"I should have been there...but I couldn't see her like that. I should have been there for you and I wasn't…."

"It's okay...Roman wasn't there either."

"Roman had an excuse, his daughter was really sick. I didn't have an excuse."

Dean closed his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill out. He knew that Harper was still watching him and it was that much harder to hold them back after admitting what a crappy friend he had been to her over the last two months. The injury he got that prevented him from doing what he loved to do was the karma he deserved for not being there. "There is no need to beat yourself up over it. There is no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't be angry with you either."

His words left him and all he could do was nod his head. Harper let go of his waist and took a step closer to the stone in front of her. The tigerlilly in her shaking hand was placed right on top. "I miss you and I'm not gonna lie...it absolutely sucks without you here; but you would be proud. I've been in the ring at the performance center a handful of times in preparation of a return and it turns out they want to turn me into a singles competitor. They didn't even bother trying to give me a new partner."

Dean knew they would never try to give her a new partner, that would have been the biggest insult they could give to Lyric's memory. However, he had no doubt that Seth did some talking to Hunter on her behalf about becoming a singles star. It simply wouldn't have crossed their minds otherwise.

"How long are you staying in the area?" Harper asked breaking the silence that had grown between them.

"I'll be heading out in the morning."

"Then you should come to 'Avery's' tonight. There is a memorial show for Lyric tonight and I'm doing a song. Since I'll be going back on the road next week, I figured this was a good time as any to have this memorial."

"I'll be there."

Without another word, he turned to walk back down the hillside towards the rental he took out earlier that morning. Harper continued to look down at him as he walked. A smile crept to her face. He may still be hurting from the loss of Lyric; but he wasn't alone and never would be in that pain. If anything, they were connected that way.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Are you sure that you are ready to go back?" Olivia asked coming into the kitchen for her third cup of coffee.

"Yes, I need to. If I sit around here any longer...I will drown in the pain of losing her and I refuse to be crippled. She wouldn't want that."

"I don't want to loose you. You are all I have left in this world."

Harper looked up from the table to look her mother dead in the eye. She could see the terror radiating from them. Her mother was absolutely terrified of loosing her and she could see why. Pushing herself away from the table, she got up and moved to the counter to embrace her mother tightly. "I promise that I will be extra careful and call you everyday."

Olivia placed a warm hand on her daughter's arm, understanding her need to continue forward with the things she loved to do. She supposed Seth would continue to look out for her even during their separation as a couple. The feelings were still there and during the crippling pain there were moments she thought she'd see the reconnection form; but it never did.

"I've got to get ready for the memorial." Harper stated as she let go of her mother to walk out of the room entirely.

Alone in the kitchen, she saw Harper's phone on the charger on the edge of the furthest part of the counter. Touching the screen with her finger, it asked for a passcode. Olivia thought about it a moment punching in numbers that were her sister's birthday. 0-1-2-8. The phone buzzed indicating that it was wrong. Again, she thought about it again and thought maybe it was Harper's own birthday. 0-7-2-0. The vibration told her that it was once again wrong.

"What the hell is it then?" Olivia asked herself and then it dawned on her what it possibly could be.

Her finger touched the numbers 0-5-2-8 on the screen and it immediately unlocked. The background photo was just a simple galaxy design, nothing fancy about it. In a way, she felt like this was an invasion of her daughter's privacy but she felt like if she didn't push the issue her daughter would never take the steps she needed to take.

Finding Seth's name in her contact list, she pushed the call button. The ringing on the other side made her nervous and conflicted if it truly was the best choice of actions; but she only had one living child now and she'd be damned if she was alone for the rest of her life.

"Hello Harper." His voice greeted warmly.

"It's not Harper, It's Olivia." She replied.

The instant Olivia spoke it was like a red flag inside Seth's mind. He was already panicking about Harper. Was she hurt? Was there something wrong? Did he dare fear the worst? Far too many questions in only a few seconds. "Is she alright?" He asked, his voice a little wavering in tone.

"She's fine. I only called because she's stubborn as hell and wouldn't do what I've been asking her to do for the last week."

"Which was?"

"How far are you from Pittsburgh?"

Seth knew there was a reason Olivia was asking and it made him laugh on the inside. He already knew why she was calling, only because Dean had messaged him earlier on that day. Lyric's memorial was tonight and he felt it was only right that the three of them make an appearance. "I'm already in Pittsburgh and I'll be at the memorial tonight. There was no way I was going to miss it."

"I appreciate it and I'm sure Harper will as well."

"Maybe...oh, how the hell did you get into her phone?"

"Took me a little bit; but the code ended up being your birthday. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah…later…"

The line went dead and Seth stood in his hotel room with a blank stare. Harper's passcode for her phone was his birthday, which meant that she still cared enough about him to linger onto that. A smile tugged at his lips as he sat the device down on the bed. The door opened suddenly revealing Roman in the doorway. "What's got you all smiling?" He asked with a half smile of his own.

"Nothing, just thinking."

"Thinking? That's never good. What about exactly?"

"It's not what. It's who."

"Well that's a no brainer. Harper is always on your mind."

Roman wasn't wrong in that statement. Walking away was not one of his finer moments in life. Harper continued to haunt him no matter how much he tried to move forward in thinking it was the best thing for her at the time. "Are you going to finally confess?" He asked tossing his bag to the floor.

"At her sister's memorial? No, now isn't the right time. We are just going to support her and talk about the good memories we have of Lyric, nothing more."

"This is true; but I wouldn't waste too much time in telling her the truth. She obviously still cares a great deal for you."

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Harper walked around the tables swiftly to get to the stage. She was attempting to tell the crew where to put what where she wanted it to go. Silver and Teal balloons were scattered around the entire area. A small round table was set up right at the entrance that was decorated in photos of Lyric throughout her stages of life, including her time in the WWE.

People were starting to pour in from the entrance, mostly members of the family, cousins and such. Soft music started to play in attempts to test the sound system, which was good considering she was going to be performing a song later on.

Harper wanted nothing more than to have everyone enjoy themselves in celebrating Lyric's life, remember nothing but the good times with her.

She turned away from the stage just as Sasha walked into the door. She was dressed in a long olive green thin strapped dress with a pair of silver heeled sandals. Her long berry purple hair was left down in large waves over the front of her. "I appreciate you coming." Harper said walking right into an embrace from her best friend.

"There was no way I was missing this." Sasha answered.

Harper pointed out where she would be seating, a private table near the stage reserved for her and Dean. Olivia took over the control of getting the place ready, allowing her daughter a little breather. The lights started to dim down to the perfect setting for a show and before long it was beginning.

"Welcome everyone. This little show is for the memory of my daughter Lyric Elizabeth Kennedy. She was a loving young woman, who had her life cut far too short than any of us expected. Tonight is to honor her in song and dance; but feel free to share your memories of her, because she lives through each and every one of us." Olivia greeted without shedding a single tear; but that wasn't without wanting to.

A cousin of Harper and Lyric's started the show off with speaking of a memory he held dear to his heart of them growing up in the city of Pittsburgh. Harper sat next to Sasha with a smile on her face as she thought back on the memory herself. "She was a warm soul and despite what her parents said, she took that kitten in and hide in the basement of the house. It didn't take long before she convinced her mother to let them keep it."

"So true." Olivia said from across the table.

"It gives me great pleasure to introduce my other cousin, Lyric's sister. Harper Nicole to the stage."

Harper stood up to everyone clapping. Her black lace dress hung low in the back and higher in the front. Her long straight smokey violet hair fell over her shoulders as she knelt down to pick up the microphone from her cousin's hand in passing. Looking out at all the people seated in tables before her got the butterflies working overtime in her stomach until she noticed movement from the back of the entertainment hall.

Dean, Roman and Seth walked into the building all fairly dressed up for the occasion. Her heart started to pound against her chest at the mere sight of Seth walking towards the front to sit down next to her mother and Sasha. His smile lite up her world and despite all the hardships she's had to go through over the last couple months, she always looked forward to seeing his smile.

Seth waited patiently for her to speak. He was dying to hear her voice. Of course, there was plenty of other things he wanted when it came to her; but hearing her voice was the first thing he wanted. Next, was probably holding her in his arms and third, was to kiss her lips once more; but he knew that he was simply going to have wait until the time was right.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I promise we will get out of these really emotional chapters soon and get to some wrestling action; but this one holds a special place in my heart and I really hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. So, here it goes, onto number seven. Let me know what you think.**

 **The lyrics in this chapter do not belong to me, they belong to their respected artist.**

 **A special thanks goes to: Skovko and Leasha Ambrose for the wonderful reviews.**

 **Another special thanks goes to: New-Zealands-Version-Of-Pluto, Countryliving Girl, Becka D, littlewave500, sweetygirl1994 and hyperfaerie for becoming followers to this story.**

Chapter 7:

A Step Into The Light

Seth watched as Harper moved fluidly onto the stage, picking up the microphone from the man already standing there. He found that his hands clenched out of reflex under the table. Sasha eyed him briefly, wondering if he would say anything about their late appearance; but there wasn't a word spoken.

Her eyes traveled to Dean, who was sitting right next to Roman, his blank emotionless stare was right on Harper. She couldn't imagine his own inner battle. He was never one to speak about his emotions, much like Lyric had been and that had made things quite complicated between them. Yet, at the same time, something beautiful.

"I want to thank everyone for coming out here tonight. Lyric meant alot of things to different people. She was a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend and a friend to so many; but I know, deep down, that she wouldn't want us to mourn her forever. She'd want us to live our lives to the fullest. My pain could never be expressed better than in this song, so once the words are out...I will do my best to move forward with my life."

Olivia reached for the hand of Sasha just as the members of a band Harper had put together years prior got to their respective spots on the stage. Harper's eyes shifted to the ground for a moment, swallowing the lump in the throat before looking back out into the crowd that had grown in size.

Seth's eyes were fixed upon Harper. The way she moved only seemed to make his heart ache even more. All he wanted to do was take her pain away and that was just something she had to do on her own...and it killed him. The piano started and quickly turned into a song he immediate recognized. 'Gone Away' originally done by The Offspring but later redone by Five Finger Death Punch.

"Maybe in another life

I could find you there

Pulled away before your time

I can't deal, it's so unfair

And it feels

And feel like

Heaven's so far away

And it feels

Yeah, it feels like

The world has grown cold

Now that you've gone away."

The music dived deeper into the melody similar to the current remake, with different output signatures in sound. Seth knew it was hard for Harper to even sing the words written in the song, let alone move forward with her life. He knew her to be strong willed and if anyone could do what she said, it was her. He just hoped that she wouldn't falter.

Harper lifted the microphone back up to her lips in preparation to sing the next verse; but a man walking up the stairs to the stage interrupted her train of thought. She immediately teared up upon seeing him. His bright blue eyes similar to hers, with a tall muscular frame that only seemed to remind her of her father. His face with hidden with a dark shadow of facial hair and two pierced ears.

She was taken aback by his presence there and even more so when he lifted a microphone in his hand to sing the next verse.

"Leaving flowers on your grave

Show that I still care

Black roses and hail mary's

I can't bring back what's taken from me

I reach to the sky

And call out your name

Oh please let me trade

I would"

Harper smiled as she joined in to add her voice to his. Dean leaned across the table to ask the question that seemed to be on everyone's mind. "Who is that guy up there with her?" He asked. His tone of voice was protective and laced with an killer instinct.

Olivia turned slightly, letting out a strangled sigh. "That is her half-brother, Andrew. Her father had a child from a previous married when I met him. He's in the military and doesn't come around much." She stated and simply turned back around without another word spoken.

Seth knew there was more to it than that and silently let Dean know that he would explain further later. Once the last note was played, Harper embraced her brother tightly much to the awe of the crowd. He knew that she hadn't seen him in quite some time and this reunion made him smile, even if it wasn't to the pleasure of Olivia.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Harper stepped outside the building for some fresh air. The night had been full of memories and a surprise appeared from her brother, which was overwhelming to say the least. The chilled night air blew the back of dress around the front of her legs. She took steps towards the concrete steps that lead down to the parking lot; but stopped after the first step and sat down on the edge.

She looked up into the clear night sky at the millions of stars that sparkled around the shimmering moonlight. Slowly, people started to make their way out to leave the event. They would say their goodbyes and she would just smile and tell them the same thing over and over again. It was becoming a routine and she hated it.

"There you are." A familiar voice caressed her ear.

She didn't need to look up to know who was sitting down next to her. Seth was never one to ask to sit down, he simply took the seat. His scent waved under her nose and a smile crept to her lips. "I had to explain to Dean who Andrew was…" He said again once he was sitting down next to her.

"I'm sure my mother liked listening to that." She replied with a sarcastic tone to her voice.

"I made sure she wasn't around. I could already see the tension on her face the second he stepped up onto that stage."

"I hate that it's like that. Lyric did to. We never understood what the big issue was. He went to the military, he didn't do it to spite her."

Quickly wiping the tears away from her eyes, she turned to finally look at Seth directly. His features were soft and the expression on his face was comforting. It got her thinking on the moment she told him that she had forgiven him for leaving her. Life was far too short to waste a single moment of it being angry over things that really didn't matter anymore.

There was a point over the last two months where she knew that things changed between them. He had seen her at her worst and no matter what he saw, he remained right by her side.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out after a few moments of silence between them.

"What are you sorry for?"

Seth watched her clench her hands tightly on the fabric of her dress. He leaned in a little, placing a steady hand on the cold cement beneath him and with his other hand, he cupped her cheek. "Harper…." He was cut off with her arms wrapping themselves around his neck tightly. He could feel her trembling against him, as if she was trying to hold back tears.

"Talk to me...what's wrong?"

"I've spent so much time being angry with you...and now...I just want you to hold onto me."

A smile curved his lips, pulling her even closer to him until she was almost on his lap. The emotions were suffocating her, drowning her in all the sensations that came with the desire to have something badly enough. In her case, it was Seth. He had moved her heart to new heights that she never thought possible after loosing Lyric. "I'll hold onto you for as long as you want me to." He whispered in her ear.

Pushing herself out of his embrace, she got back to her feet. Seth quickly followed suit wondering what else was on her mind, because he knew her well enough to know that there was something else still there just waiting to be said. Another wave of cold air blew through the space between them, sending the back part of her dress to brush up against his resting hands.

Harper swallowed hard and turned back around to face him one more time. There were words on the tip of her tongue that needed to be said before she lost her nerve to say them. With Lyric gone, she now had to face her emotional reality on her own.

"There is something I need to say...before I loose the words to tears."

"Okay."

"My anger towards you after you walked away...wasn't fair...I should have listened to your reasons. I should have been a better listener to you when your career took a turn for the worst and during your injury. There is only one word that would describe my actions and that's selfish."

"Don't...don't put the blame solely on yourself...there is plenty to blame on me too."

The door suddenly opened, startling them. Roman and Dean stepped out. They both embraced her tightly. The Shield may not be a thing on TV anymore; but it didn't mean it didn't exist outside of it. It was silently integrated that Harper would be theirs to protect no matter what. "Thank you for being here." She said once they let go of her.

"We love you like a sister and there was no way we would miss this for the world. Lyric would be proud of you." Roman said placing his hands on either side of her face before leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

Harper could tell Dean didn't know what to say. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and just as he pulled back he whispered, "I loved her and I'll always look out for you. I promise you that."

"Are you coming?" Roman asked Seth.

"I'll be there in a minute."

They got the hint that he had something to say that didn't need the presence of his two best friends. Harper waved as they turned to walk down the stairs towards the parking lot below. She shifted back around to face Seth for the final time that evening. In some ways, she felt nervous; but in others, she was at ease with him there. That's what made their connection so special to her.

"Harper…"

"I should probably get back in there to help my mom clean up...you know…"

"Harper…"

"How she gets with cleaning. I'm sure my brother and her are arguing to."

"Harper, will you please stop rambling."

Her mouth closed briefly only for it to be captured by his. The soft nature of his lips on her own ignited the fire deep within herself she had forgotten that lived inside her chest. His hand held the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her silky violet chrome colored hair. There was a sudden desperation laced in the movements of his mouth upon hers.

Electricity sparked, reminding her of the passion they once shared. Her hand instinctively slid up his chest to rest on his heart, feeling it beat rapidly under her palm was an insight that he was indeed feeling exactly as she was at present.

When his lips pulled away, she was left cold and wanting more. "I told myself that I wouldn't kiss you tonight. It was supposed to be about Lyric and the memories of her; but found that we've been avoiding it for a little too long. Am I wrong?"

"No, you are most certainly not wrong; but I will ask you to be patient with me."

"Was planning on it sweetheart, I really don't want to fuck this up."

Harper smiled before chastly kissing him one more time. "Go on, they are waiting for you and I've got an argument to undoubtedly break up inside." She said, playfully pushing him down the first step of many down to the parking lot.

"I'll text you when I get to the hotel. Keep your cool, both your brother and mother need you."

"Thank you; but I'll be fine."

He nodded and continued on down the steps towards the car Roman and Dean were waiting in. Harper turned to step back inside the building only to see Andrew helping clean everything, while her mother was resting on the stage. A smile worked its way to her lips, while silently thanking Lyric that the day ran ever so smoothly. She hoped that the future would run just as smooth as it did right in that moment, especially with her return to the ring ever so close at hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm loving all the support this story is getting. I appreciate every single review and every follower/favorite. A big time thank you goes to all who have taken the time to read it at all. We are down to the last chapter and it's a real fun one. It definitely holds a special place in my heart. Let me know what you think.**

 **A special thank you goes to: Skovko, Leasha Ambrose and ChaingangDiva for the wonderful reviews**

 **Another special thank you goes to: ShieldGirlBecky for becoming a follower.**

 **Side Note: I've started a little series of short stories that are supernatural based. If you are into that kind of thing, check it out. The first one is called Dark Side Series: A Shade of Gray.**

Chapter 8:

Glory

Harper felt at odds with herself. She pulled her travel bag through the doors that would lead her inside the arena for Monday Night Raw. The whole atmosphere was different now that it was Wrestlemania season. That stakes were higher and the expectations were at an all time high to impress the higher ups.

Backstage crews were busy getting everything ready to go; but all of them took a moment to express their condolences to her. Pushing the emotions back, she continued on down the hall until her eyes came in contact with those of Stephanie McMahon.

"Oh good, your here." Stephanie said stepping away from two of the workers to make her way over to her.

"I see everyone to stressing, are you sure that you want me here right now?" Harper asked, wondering where exactly she was going to fit into their plans.

"Oh don't worry I've got big plans for your return. Enough about work right now though, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay. I know that she's watching over me and she would want me to continue doing this. It was our passion."

Stephanie embraced her warmly. She couldn't image just what Harper was going through. Losing a sibling was something she couldn't fathom. Despite all the arguments she and her brother had, they still cared a great deal for one another. "Why don't you get settled in and I'll talk to you in a little bit about what's going to happen tonight."

Harper simply nodded and took her leave, making her way down the hall. The women's locker-room was in clear view and hesitation was upon her. Her fingers twitched at the thought of opening that door and who would behind it. Curling her fingers on the handle, she pulled down to release it from the frame.

Inside, there were various bags scattered across the room; but there was no one in sight. Pulling her bag to the nearly empty space, she sat down on the bench. Her phone started to vibrate against her upper thigh. Whoever it was, she didn't bother to answer it. Her focus was solely on how she was going to get through her return.

"Harper?" Sasha's voice came into ear range.

She looked up from the floor to see her best friend coming out from the bathroom. Her bright purple hair accented the outfit she was currently wearing, tight light colored skinny jeans with an olive green tank top. It didn't take her long to cross the room and sit down beside her, placing a hand on hers.

"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah...I need to do this or I'm gonna lose my identity. I can't hide forever in my mom's house."

"Okay...so have you seen Seth yet?"

The mention of his name brought back the last memory she had of him. His lips on hers in a fury of passion that only seemed to intensify as the seconds passed by. He was the anchor that held her together, if it hadn't been for him she had no idea where she'd be at in that moment.

Sasha could see how her best friend's demeanor changed just at the mention of his name and it made her smile. She was happy to know that they still had that beautiful connection even after all the mistakes and time separating them.

"No, not since the memorial." Harper answered.

"He's around somewhere. I'm sure he will find you eventually."

"I think we've come to terms on the mistakes we both made the first time around. I still love him, Sasha."

They talked about what happened after the memorial ended and about the kiss they had shared. It actually made Harper feel better about things moving forward. Perhaps they really just needed that space apart to realize that they still loved each other.

 **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Monday Night Raw had finally come to light and Harper stood nervously backstage dressed in her ring gear. It had been months since she last worn it. A smile tugged at her lips just as Seth stepped back through the curtain. His rivalry with The Miz had gained another member in Finn Balor.

"Hey." She greeted warmly.

"I'm glad to see you here. I've missed you." He replied wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Missed you to. It's time I came back to the real world and stop hiding in my mom's house."

Seth let out a light chuckle, knowing that she really hadn't been hiding in her mom's house. She had lost her sister and it devastated her, he could understand that. However, seeing her there dressed in her silver ring gear, it brought back memories of their past together. A relationship that they were currently working on mending. "I'll be watching from here, let the world know who's back." He said encouragingly.

She handing him a towel to wipe the sweat from his face and all she could do was smile at him. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute in anticipation of her return to wrestling and having Seth watching over her. If Lyric was still around, she would tease her about the obvious tension between them.

"Thank you...for everything." Harper said, turning her back to him in preparation of her entrance.

Out in the ring, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville were bragging about the beatdown that they had given to Bayley the week before. Paige stood proud of her girls, much to the dismay of the crowd. The events were cut short when Sasha Banks made her way out to the stage. The crowd cheered at the sight of her.

A microphone was in her right hand so everyone knew that she had something to say to the three women in the ring at present. "You must be so proud. A two on one beat down isn't exactly classy." Sasha said.

"Come on down here and we'd be glad to give you one to." Mandy chimed in with a certain lust coating her words.

"Oh sweetheart, I'll be coming down there alright…"

Sasha started to take several steps down the ramp before stopping midway. She put the microphone back up to her lips. "But I uh... won't be coming alone. Since you decided to take Bayley out of the equation I had to find someone else. She's a specialist of sorts, so just be prepared to get your asses kicked tonight."

Michael Cole and Corey Graves were confused as to whom Sasha was talking about. The lights dimmed down and flickering colored lights started to appear across the stage just as an erie intro started up. The song was familiar to Sasha only because of Harper's taste in music. 'Feel(Zardonic Remix)' was gifted to the audience.

It wasn't until her name came on the screen did everyone get out of their seats and cheer. Harper walked out onto the stage slowly soaking in the dramatic nature of her new entrance music. Her eyes never left those of Mandy and Sonya.

"Oh my god...it's Harper Nicole. I never expected to see her again after the sudden passing of her sister Lyric a couple months ago." Michael stated.

"I'm in shock right now." Corey reiterated.

Harper shrugged out of her overcoat and stood next to her best friend. The emotion was written on her face and Sasha simply nodded her head, signifying that everything would be okay. They got into the ring together, while the trio inside took several steps back. Paige was in utter shock, not realizing that Harper would ever consider coming back to the company after Lyric's tragic accident.

"Stay focused. Harper won't be an easy target as you may think." Paige said to her girls.

The bell rung and Harper started the match. She bounced her feet against the mat several times before locking up with Sonya in the center of the ring. Harper tossed Sonya back, overpowering her. With a swift kick to the abdomen, Sonya took control early. Harper kept her hands up to block several of the swift jabs coming her way.

Pushing her way through, she got a shot in across the bridge of the nose. The force of it sent Sonya back into her own corner, where Mandy tagged herself in. The golden goddess quickly got into Harper face, talking trash that didn't sit with the newly returned superstar. Harper struck hard and quickly.

Sonya got into the ring just as Mandy was knocked onto her backside. Sasha rushed into the ring, taking Sonya to the outside. Mandy was left alone with Harper. She picked her up onto her shoulders, stretching her. Her cries of pain could be heard throughout the arena. Harper simply slammed her onto her back hard, before climbing to the top rope.

The crowd cheered, remembering what her signature move was before the hiatus had begun. Balancing herself, arms outstretched. She took flight, twisting her body to deliver the Phoenix Splash perfectly onto Mandy's prone body. Harper quickly went for the cover and picked up the win for their team.

Sasha rolled back into the ring to embrace her best friend tightly. The crowd began to chant 'Lyric' out of respect for Harper's sister. She smiled and held a clenched hand to her heart before pointing up to the sky. "Thank you." She said before getting out of the ring to walk back to the backstage area.

The scene when she stepped back through the curtain brought her to tears. The entire roster stood at various spots while Stephanie begun clapping, which was followed by everyone else. Hunter wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm proud of you." He said before kissing the top of her head.

"What you've been through can't be easy and we wanted you to know that we are all here to support you." Stephanie said, almost breaking down in tears herself.

Harper covered her mouth just as she saw Seth, Roman and Dean at the front of the crowd holding a dozen of her favorite colored roses, peach. Seth welcomed her into his arms. This was more than she ever expected to happen upon her return to the company. His lips captured hers in momentary kiss.

The crowd began to diminish, because the show had to continue. Seth wrapped an arm around her, walking her to the women's locker-room. Roman and Dean were closely behind them.

"I really want to thank all of you for the support you've given me since Lyric's passing."

"No need to thank us, Harper. We wanted to be there for you." Roman replied.

She turned to look at Dean directly. His arm wasn't in a sling anymore; but he was far from able to return to the ring. He had promised to protect her and she had no doubt that promise was something he intended on keeping. She smiled at him, giving him a silent personal thank you of his own.

Roman and Dean continued on down the hall talking about other things, while Seth remained beside Harper. "You know...there is no reason to thank me for anything. I was there for you because I wanted to be...because I love you."

Hearing those words made her heart pound against her chest, just like it had always done at the sight of him. He was her everything and now it was time to let the past stay in the past and move forward with their lives.

"You have no idea how much you being there helped me through the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. Our past mistakes mean nothing now...let's just move forward. I've realized that loving you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

He smiled, taking a step closer. His head dipped down slowly, hovering ever so close to her lips that he loved to kiss. She closed the fraction distance between them herself, capturing his lips with her own.

They were taking steps to move past all the hardships that have befallen them over the last year. Both were over the moon in the direction they were going. Harper was back on the road and doing what she loved to do. Seth was right by her side, helping her succeed and potentially become someone at the top of the woman's division someday. Not a single person could stop them if they set their minds to it.


End file.
